Can divider mechanism



Jan. 14, 1958 c, E.WALTERs 2,819,786

, CAN DIVIDER MECHANISM Filed Oct. 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENToR. w CHARLES E. wALTERs FIG ATToRNYs Jan. 14, 1958 c. E. WALTERS 2,819,786

CAN DIVIDER MECHANISM Filed oct. 23, 1956 z sheets-shane INVENTOR.

cHARLl-:s E. WALTERS AT TORNEYS A )to the individual 'stations or machines.

, is an object of this Iinvention'to provide animprovedcan Unite States Patenti() ice CAN DIVIDER Charles E. Walters, Vancouver, il'tishColnmbiayGannda,

assigner to American Can `Company, 41N ew York, N. Y., va corporation 'of New :lersey Application .October 23, 1956,Serial No.617,758

11 Claims. f(Cl.I198-'3-1f) This invention relates to a can divider and moresparticularly 'to a mechanism Afor directing vcans .from one 'supply line into a plurality of can lanes, orfpa'thswlich lead to can treating stations.

In can or container making 'and'll'ing and closingpractices `where operations 'are` performed on cans 'and can bodies, for 'example where Vcan bfodies are tted with an end closure, `and the resulting can or Acontainer lledwith `a product -and sealed and labeled, a plurality of identical operating, stations or machines suc'has closing machines or labeling machines .are`use`din 'conjunction with as'ingle source 4of Asupply "of cans for bodies. In order-'tosupply a Acontinuous flow "of cans toithesefmltiple stations or machines, a can divider :is employed wherein `cans 4are directed *from asourcealongasupplyllineand dividediinto a plurality lof paths or Alanes which Vthen-supplythc :cans Accordingly, it

divider.

lt will vbe `appreciated that as -cans 'are moved ttotreating stations, itis possible 'fora jammingfconditiontoeist at one of 'these stations thereby-causingthe "cans'toiback up in its supply lane. Such'a b'acknporfjam might cause 'serious damage to Y'automatic lmachineryfand also to the 'cans unless the -llow of :cans to 4'that laneris'promptlyinterrupted. EIt is therefore a 'further "object'of this 'invention to provide an improved can 4'divider `wherein mea-ns is provided -for interrupting the -toweof -canstto any-can'lane when a'jamexists'therin.

It is a further object of v'this inventionto vprovide a mechanism which -while interrupting the -filow fdf cans'to Aa jammed lane -serves the dual function -of lautomatically diverting `cans intended fortthe jammed vlane into Aa norm'ally operativecanlane.

It is a =still further-object ofttliis invention Lto provide a mechanism which-will interrupt the "owfoffcan-sfrom the supply line @when apluralitytof the supply1anesare jammed.

l:Numerous-otherobjects Iand advantages jof the'invention will fbe 'apparent as it `is better.understocfi` from the ffollowing desciption, which, italkenein :connection 'with the accompanying drawings, -`discloses -a epreferred-emfbo'dment thereof.

Referringltolthe drawings: Figure l fis a-top=plan -view ofacanesupplyilinetemfbodyin'g the Linstant f invention, i Lwith jfparts fbrken -Lfaway,' Fig. 2 is a side view of the-`su`pp1ylineishowniniig. 1; Figisa top planviews'imilartoFi-g. f1, showing cer- A:tain of `lthe parts V:in I:position ffor auparticlarlcaniow lcondition;

.fl-lig. 4 i's Sa schematic -Wingdiagramt Lofi the lelectrical aappar-atusi usedinz the device ;-an`d :Fig .5 :isfaside viewfo'f aportion of a 'can runway fshowinga canjam condition.

'Briefly this 1 invention irelatesrto 1a can divider .mechafnism having a'pluralityi'offrdeector gates Iincludingeautm :matic acontrolmechanism therefor, wi'th 1 each igateebeing operable -tinrconjunc'tiongwith aldragE plateiand `ai'ea'tlarte 2,819,736 Patented Jan- 14, 1,958

2 to .deneywhen the dellector gate 'is in its normal `position, one 'side of a -throat'for a corresponding c an lane, and `when in its operative `position a -block forits correspondwingthroat and a deflector guiding cans Minto a different throat.

AS e vpreferred -er exemplary embodiment sf .the 5in- :stant `"invention the drawings .illustrate -a kcan `divider 2 (Fig. 1,) utilized in conjunction with .a cansppplyflineA, :a 'drag plateand a ,pair ,of ,can ,lanes lonegrtending (from thedragplate [The diyiderlcomprises adelfleqting In Itheir normal position, the 5l "hurn 12, @pair-0f de'eetinggetesll., landsuitahlecnu- 'trol'mechanism therefor.

In .normal operation cans are carried algngthe can 'upply`1ine4 by a 'belt or cable .,Cunveynr .1.8 whiehitietioually urges Vthe kcans onto and across Lthe drag plate '.6- The 'latter 'is fdeneldfin width, in the .preierred etnbvdimen bythedeecrnggates 1am.,.wliehiuturuare pivotally supported. on the drag( plate ,by` snaedpvptst), '22 for movement from a norm 1..to..a deeeted Meirieu eilectiug ,gates 1.4, 115er@ :spaced apart kiu Isubstantiallyparallelttelatiuuslip Mlisitance whienis less .than vthe .diametercftwo Qflthensns which are beinggltueessed,butgreaterthauthetdiameter of one o'f those cans thereby permitting or fqrcingnthe `cans to` assume.staggeredmusitions .on tthefdraghlate 6 in the forment two .rows '.havinglhen centers ii-si1acsul.less 1thanbne canjdianuete nas .showntiulig .1, and ,witheech "110W Oisans abutting oneof,saidsefleetggsgetes i AS' the rows f of .sans .traverse ...the drag plate #Leader `the drivirtg'force .df theable .18. .theyecomeiuto gcuntact Vwith the vdividing horn 12 ,whichin.turn directs ,thesaus "into alerte `i5, 1.0..co.rrespon`diug.tothe row in whichthe can has been traveling. p

L,1.11.thsresrzect. itfwillfbe. nutedthataufopeuingtor throat 13.221 of ,eacghycanllaue.isneuedtbytthe hermllaud a eetrlespendi..i g .one onthe .uleeeting,I geteselrfl, .16, {respecltivey. f

11n normal-uperationsasten isslivented fretunreg plate it?. gthruugh .a throat ,and-fiumi e upply tiene. uit: iS .t twisted 99 .ina tilt. .chute .on twister; un' 'fsrresaectively, aligning 'thean into.- assidewse .rqllingypstiuu for gravtynow Vto semezseleeted .can statcueruueehine {(not shown). `Eutuuvte V along the ycan Janes.; eaehfseu .wils werfe balance :lissage-21%. lusatedone.inieachlsthe ilaneslal.re$PeCV1y i ,JAS described -scornpletelyin United gStaltes'yPa-tent No. 113216255. .issued July A, 5193,3to ,Calgotand- ,assigned to the ,same assignee., asithateefs e; present inv-en- 1191;, 21. balance beam ,28,A 30 fis-ingperalveiunderg heggen- 0 Sditiouspf. normal,.canmowtmusi-respective;lane, ,butfin its corresponding dellecting gate .togpivnmhefsamefabut t itspivot .point 2li, 2.72 intomadeeetedgpssitionaase shown VJfurgate 14 in`F i,g-3. .,111 ...the deeetedpositicnubesause '-ofajam in its corresponding lanegthe gatehasbeen-moved `-across'the throat ,of its correspondinglane,towardsthe .erts -a` 'lateral thrust onltheansin the adjacent row, squeezing-theml Ainto alternate positions in the opposite row,f1therebydiverting-all theea-ns -on-the drag platefi; into alignment with the throatoffthe--oppositeelanemn'til"the jam has been relieved.

Tilt Will'fber noted particularlyit-hat "With'fthe 4unique ar- @rangement of the'ide'tlectingga-tes t14,L16acting as side asia'se walls of the drag plate 6 (and being spaced apart greater than one can diameter but less than two) it is impossible for two cans to reach a dead center point abutting position to block the operation of the deflecting gates, therefore the lateral thrust of the deecting plate aligns all of the cans on the drag plate for travel into the can lane which remains open or unobstructed.

With reference to the schematic wiring diagram (Fig. 4) a power supply is indicated by the generator G. A current path is established by the conductors 36, 38 from the generator G to one side of the electrical switches 33, 35, respectively. The circuit is continued from the other side of the switches 33, 35 through the coils of solenoids 32, 34 by the conductors 40, 42, respectively. The circuit is completed back to the generator by the common conductor 44.

In normal operation (e. g. no can jam) the balance beams 28, 30 are not tilted and, therefore, switches 33, 35 are open, and the solenoids are deenergized. In the event of the operation of one ofthe balance beams, for example the balance beam 28, current would flow from the generator G along the conductor 36 to the contact 33-2, normally open but now closed, through the contact, along the conductor 40 to the solenoid 32 and back along the common wire 44 to the generator G. This complete circuit energizes solenoid 32 and pivots the deecting gate 14 about its pivot point 20 to its deected position shown in Fig. 3.

By corresponding circuit, if the balance beam 30 is operated by a cam jam in the lane 10, then the contacts 35-2 would be closed to energize the solenoid 34 and move the detiecting gate 16 to its deected position. The solenoids 32, 34, when energized remain energized until the cam jam is relieved whereupon the balance beams are restored to their rest or normal positions. Then tension springs 37, 39 respectively restore the deecting gates to their normal positions.

It will be appreciated that if either of the deflecting gates 14, 16 is moved to its deflected position, can ow will be continued with the entire supply being directed into the can lane opposite the deecting gate that has been operated. However, if there is a concurrent can jam in both can lanes 8, whereby both balance beams 28, 30 are tilted, then it is apparent that the supply of cans from the supply line 4 should be interrupted. To accomplish this objective, a stop solenoid 46 is so positioned with respect to the can supply line 4 that when the solenoid is energized, its core 4S will be moved up into the can line, or the core will operate other suitable mechanism such as that shown in Fig. 9 of United States Patent No. 1,916,255, previously referred to and thereby cut off the flow of cans from the supply line 4. To insure this result, the balance beam operated switches 33, 3S are provided with a second set of contacts 33-4 and 35-4 respectively, which are in circuit with the coil of solenoid 46. Accordingly, in the event of a concurrent double lane can jam, a circuit is established from the generator G (Fig. 4) along conductor 49 through the coil of solenoid 46 and along conductor 50 through the normally opened, now closed, contacts 35-4 along the conductor 52, through the normally open, now closed, contacts 33-4, back along conductor 44 to the generator G thereby establishing a circuit to solenoid 46, operating the same to stop the flow of cans in supply line 4.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism having means for feeding a plurality of curvilinearzobjects along a supply line, a divider for providing plural dow paths for said objects comprising a drag platform positioned to receive said objects fed from said supply line, a pair of supply lanes extending from said drag plate, a dividing horn interconnecting adjacent sides of said supply lanes, a pair of deflecting gates, means pivotally supporting the same in a rest position on said drag plate to define lateral guides for said drag plate for guiding said objects fed by said supply line normally into each of said supply lanes, throat means for each supply lane defined by said dividing horn and a corresponding one of said deiiecting gates respectively, individual power means for said deecting gates for moving the same from a rest position to a deflected position wherein said gate is moved towards said dividing horn to block the entrance throat of its corresponding supply lane, and means responsive to a predetermined condition in one of said supply lanes for actuating said power means for the corresponding dellecting gate.

2. In a mechanism having means for feeding a plurality of curvilinear objects along a supply line, a divider for providing plural flow paths for said objects comprising a drag platform positioned to receive said objects fed from said supply line, a pair of supply lanes extending from said drag plate, a dividing horn interconnecting adjacent sides of said supply lanes, a pair of deflecting gates, means pivotally supporting the same in a rest position on said drag plate to define lateral guides for said drag plate for guiding said objects fed by said supply line normally into each of said supply lanes, throat means for each supply lane deiined by said dividing horn and a corresponding one of said deflecting gates respectively, individual power means for said detlecting gates for moving the same from a rest position to a deected position wherein said gate ismoved towards said dividing horn to block the entrance throat of its corresponding supply lane, and to provide a slanted lateral guide to direct the liow of all objects from said drag platform into said opposite throat, and means responsive to a predetermined condition in one of said supply lanes for actuating said power means for the corresponding deflecting gate.

3. In a mechanism having means for feeding a plurality of curvilinear objects along a supply line, a divider for Aproviding plural ow paths for said objects comprising a drag platform positioned to receive said objects fed from said supply line, a pair of supply lanes extending from said drag plate, a dividing horn interconnecting adjacent sides of said supply lanes, a pair of deecting gates, means pivotally supporting one end of each of said gates on said drag plate in a rest position with said gates having a parallel relationship spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of two of said objects but greater than the diameter of one of them thereby defining lateral guides for directing said objects fed by said supply line into each of Ysaid supply lanes, throat means for each supply lane dened by said dividing horn and the free end of a corresponding one of said deflecting gates respectively, individual power means for said deflecting gates for moving the same from said rest position to a deflected position wherein the free end of said actuated gate is moved towards said dividing horn to block the entrance throat of its corresponding supply lane, and means responsive to a predetermined condition in one of said supply lanes for actuating said power means for the corresponding deecting gate.

4. In a mechanism having means for feeding a plurality of curvilinear objects along a supply line, a divider for providing plural flow paths for said objects comprising a drag platform positioned to receive said objects fed from said supply line, a pair of supply lanes extending from said drag plate, a dividing horn interconnecting adjacent sides of said supply lanes, a pair of deecting gates, means pivotally supporting one end of each of said gates on said drag plate in a rest position with said gates having a parallel relationship spaced apart a distance less .than the diameter o f two of said objects but greater than 

